The present invention generally relates to fluid-operated power tools. More particularly, it relates to power tools with interchangeable, lever-drive mechanisms for a variety of bolting applications.
Fluid operated power tools of this general type are known in the art. Some of such tools are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,260,444 and 6,427,559. In such tools lever-drive mechanisms can be interchanged for different bolting operations. Limited clearance, fluid-operated tools have an attachable hex link which contains a lever-drive mechanism and forms one housing, while another motor housing contains a fluid-operated drive unit. In all such tools the exchangeable link of one housing is connected to the other motor housing via screws and pins after the housings are assembled with one another. As a result, such screws and pins can loosen during the operation and end up inside a turbine, a compressor, or another equipment if they fall off during assembly. There are very strict requirements for such equipment, for example for turbines in that the turbine can not be fired up if there is any foreign material inside it, since it can cause the turbine blades to break off at high speeds and destroy the entire turbine. If pins or screws or other parts drop during assembly into the interior of the turbine, the recovery of such parts from an inner bottom of the turbine is extremely expensive, and in many instances requires robots which are not on site and can cause on-line delay by days.
Presently, all power stations use duct tape to tape all screws and pins onto the tool housing. As hydraulic devices are, however, subject to grease and oil, the tape sometimes loosens up and the parts drop anyway. Some users wire-connect pins to the tool housing, so that the pins do not drop into the interior of the tubing. However, when the connecting pin comes off, the link or the motor housing can fall down.